A Spirit Rises

The original U.S. blurb says it well, . . .But some readers consider her short stories the best vehicle for her impeccable craftsmanship, her peerless ability to sketch in a few deft lines a man or woman in a brief moment of destiny - tragic, comic,MoreThe original U.S. blurb says it well, . . .But some readers consider her short stories the best vehicle for her impeccable craftsmanship, her peerless ability to sketch in a few deft lines a man or woman in a brief moment of destiny - tragic, comic, absurd or moving. These fourteen new stories are once again evidence of her wit and irony, her grace and poise.A Spirit Rises comprises fourteen stories: Youth and the Lady- The Locum Tenens- The Fifth of November- A Question of Disposal- Barnby Robinson- In a Shaken House- The Old Nun- Randolph- On Living for Others- A Dressmaker- A Spirit Rises- The Snow Guest- During a Winter Night- A Work of Art.Many of the stories first appeared in The New Yorker which makes the dedication to William Maxwell all the more appropriate. A Spirit Rises is one of four collections of Sylvia Townsend Warners short stories that Faber Finds are reissuing: Winter in the Air- A Spirit Rises- A Stranger with a Bag- Scenes of Childhood.Miss Townsend Warner, as always, comes up to scratch with the sheer caress of her style. The stories in A Spirit Rises, private, utterly leisured, are like charades played by angels - albeit rather sardonic ones, and in a slightly unreal hothouse. The choice and rhythm of her words are not to be wolfed- be patient, keep the mind free to wander on a quickening phrase or a squint of humour. David Hughes, Sunday Times